C6e  litirarp 

of  t|)e 

ajnttieriBiitp  of  il3ortt)  Carolina 


Collection  ot  ilSottf)  Carolmiana 


OF 


REV.  WILLIAM  H.  WILLS.  D.  D. 


REV.  WM.  H.  WILLS,  D.  D 


When  men  of  eminent  piety,  large 
iEflaence  and  extensive  usefulness,  who 
have  served  their  generation  by  tha 
will  of  God,  fall  on  sleep  and  are  gath- 
ered home  to  their  reward,  those  who 
knew  them  best,  and  enjoyed  the  f aires 5 
opportunities  for  making  a  just  es  i- 
mate  of  their  wott*i,  seem  to  have  laid 
on  them  an  obligation  to  the  living  to 
put  on  record  at  least  a  brief  sketch  of 
the  virtuous  lives  thus  closed  up  for 
ever.  It  is  with  such  impiessions  as 
these  that  we  write  of  the  late  Rev, 
WrLLTAM  H.  WiLiiS,  D.  D  ,  a  fuperau- 
nuated  minister  of  the  North  Carolina 
Conference  of  the  Methodist  Protestant 
Chui  ch,  who  was  born  on  the  ith  day 
of  August,  1809,  and  died  June  22nd, 
1889.  in  his  ^Och  year. 

[The  committee  appointed  to  write 
this  obituary  was  constituted  of  Dr.  A. 
O.  Harris  and  J  L.  Michaux,  but  the 
hea  th  of  Dr.  Harris,  who  has  himself 
since  gone  home,  being  feei.le,  he  au- 
thorized his  associate  in  this  tribute  to 
proceed  with  the  task,  which  he  has 
done  under  numerous  diffimlties,  one 
of  which  has  been  to  select  from  a 
large  mass  of  facts  which  seemed  essen- 
tial to  the  subject  a  bulk  not  too  great 
for  8  newspaper  memoir.  This  diflB 
oulty  has  cramped  the  hand  and  per- 
plexed the  mind  of  the  wi^er,  since  the 
part  enacted  by  Dr.  Wills  in  the  history 
of  the  church  in  North  Carolina  from 
1831  to  1884  connects  his  name  with 
the  most  interesting  events  of  that  his- 
tory. I 

Dr.  Wills  became  a  member  of  the 
church  at  Whitaker's  Chapel  in  1830, 
and  was  licensed  to  preach  April  18th, 
1831.  He  preached  h  s  first  sermon  in 
old  Hebron  church,  Edgecombe  coun- 
ty, on  the  4th  Sunday  in  May,  1831. 
The  annual  conference  of  March  17, 

1831,  at  Kehoboth,  Granville  county, 
had  aire  dy  ordered,  prior  tj  the  date 
of  his  license,  that  young  Bro.  Wills 
should  be  employed  by  the  President 
should  that  officer  think  proper.  He 
was  Secretary  of  the  Conference  of 

1832,  held  in  Raleigh  and  was  re  urned 
to  Roanoke  as  assistant  to  Rev.  John 

^    F.  Speight,    At  the  Coaference  of  1833, 


at  Whitaker's  Chapel,  he  was  a  lay  dele- 
gate and  Secretary  to  the  body,  was 
elected  to  deacon  '  orders  and  ordained, 
and  assigned  to  Granville  circuio  as 
Superintendent.  From  the  Conference 
a^  Moubt  Hermon,  he  was  sent  as  as- 
sistant on  Roanoke  circuit,  the  engage- 
ment to  end  Oct  1st,  of  that  year.  He 
was  absent  from  the  conference  of  1835, 
held  at  Rehoboth,  bnt  was  recommend- 
ed for  elders'  orders  and  was  placed  on 
the  district  committee  as  an  unstation- 
ed  minister.  On  the  13th of  May,  1835, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  M., 
daughter  of  Dr.  Carey  Whitaker,  of 
Half  AX  cauuty,  who,  with  seven  of  th© 
nine  children  '  born  to  them,  still  sur- 
vives, treasuring  the  precious  memories 
of  a  married  life  extending  over  the 
period  of  fifty-four  years,  *  and  looking 
for  that  blessed  hope  and  the  glorious 
appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our 
Savior  Jesus  Christ."  The  eldest  son 
is  Rev.  R.  H.  Wills,  the  President  of 
this  Conference,  and  a  regular  itinerant 
for  about  thirty  years. 

The  name  of  W.  H.  Wills  does  not 
appear  on  ihe  roll  of  the  f  onference  of 
1836,  held  at  Sandy  Ridge,  Guilford 
county,  but  he  was  placed  on  the  dis- 
trict committee  and  enrolled  as  an  un- 
stationed  minister  on  Roanoke  circuit. 
The  minutes  for  ';^7.  at  Shi'oh,  '38  at 
Rehoboth,  *39  at  Salem,  Orange  county, 
'40,  at  Fair  Grove,  report  him  as  un- 
statiored.  There  was  no  conference  in 
'41,  on  account  of  the  fact  that  the 
conference  of  '40  occurred  on  the  4th 
of  December  and  the  next  conference 
was  held  February  18th,  1842.  There 
were  two  conferences  in  '42,  the  second 
one  being  December  the  2nd.  For 
these  years,  and  until  '44  Bro.  Wilis 
was  reported  *'unstationed,"  but  in  tae 
latter  year  he  was  received  into  confer- 
eaco  by  vote  and  enrolled  as  a  member. 
He  had  been  employed  by  the  Presi- 
deot,  with  the  unanimous  vote  of  the 
quarterly  conference,  early  in  1844,  to 
supp  y  the  place  on  Roanoke  circuit 
made  vacant  by  the  resignation  of 
Rev.  Wm.  Lineberry.  He  was  present 
at  the  Fairfield  Conference  in  1844,  was 
chairman  of  the  Boundaries'  Commit- 


2 


tee,  and  was  assigned  as  an  assistant  on 
Rojinoke  circuit,  and  at  the  conference 
of  1845,  held  at  Whitaker's  Chapel,  he 
was  returned  as  an  assistant  on  Roa- 
noke circuit,  and  was  elected  to  and  at- 
tended the  general  confereoce  of  May, 
1846,  at  Cincinnati.  He  started  to  the 
Mount  Hermon  conference  of  1847,  but 
an  accident  on  the  way,  not  serious  in 
itself,  influenced  him  to  return  home. 
This  conference  assigned  him  as  an  as  . 
sistant  on  Roanoke  circuit. 

It  was  during  184S  that  the  more  ag- 
gressive rEinisterial  career  of  our  broth 
er  began.  During  all  the  previous 
years  there  were  not  only  enough 
preachers  to  fill  all  the  appointments, 
but  some  of  the  circuits  had  their  sup- 
erintendents and  as  many  as  five  or  six 
assistants,  some  of  them  necessarily 
only  partially  engaged  in  ihe  work. 
Roanoke,  for  example,  in  1845,  report 
ed,  "Caswell  Drake,  John  F.  Speig^ht, 
Wm.  Bellamy,  R.  Davidson,  Wm.  H. 
Wills  and  G- A.  T.  Whitaker,"  minis- 
ters, while  it  also  had  an  unordained 
traveling  assistant,  A.  C.  Harris,  and 
three  un stationed  ministers  and  preach- 
ers— ten  in  ail.  Nor  were  the  sur- 
roundings much  dissimilar  in  other 
parts  of  the  district  at  that  time. 

These  facts  of  history  will  account  in 
large  measure  for  any  seeming  lack  of 
activity  on  the  part  of  such  a  man  as 
Dr.  Wills,  full  of  zeal  and  devotion  as 
he  ever  was.  But,  in  the  summtr  of 
1848,  we  see  him  breaking  over  the  en- 
vironments which  had  for  years  circuoa- 
scribed  his  activities,  and  perhaps  un- 
der more  favorable  domestic  surround- 
ings, starting  from  his  home,  full  of 
zeal  and  ardor,  to  assist  his  brethren  of 
the  Western  circuits  in  their  camp  and 
protracted  mestings,  At  Fogleman'a, 
in  Alamance,  and  Double  Springs,  in 
Guilford,  his  preaching  was  attend<^d 
with  almost  Pentecostal  power  and  ef 
fectiveness.  This  remark  applies  more 
appropriately  to  a  sermon  preached  at 
Double  Springs  on,  "If  any  man  lack 
wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God."  at  the 
close  of  which  a  thousand  hearers 
seemed  to  have  been  swayed  as  by  a 
strong  wind. 

We  suggest  the  thought  for  what  it 
may  be  worth,  that  the  great  success  of 


this  evangfelistic  excursion  to  the  camp 
meeting  fields  of  the  Western  circuits 
was  interpreted  by  Bro.  Wills  to  indi- 
cate his  duty  to  give  himself  to  the 
work  at  laige  ;  accordingly  be  is  found 
at  the  Fair  Grove  Conference  of  3848, 
where,  on  the  first  ballot,  he  is  elected 
President  of  the  District, 

Many  worthy  and  laborious  men  had 
preceded  him  in  that  office,  but  he  un- 
dertook and  carried  out  a  more  thor- 
ough and  aggressive  plan  of  circuit 
visitation,  preaching  and  supervising 
the  work  on  all  the  fields  of  labor,  than 
any  one  had  undertaken  to  do  up  to 
that  time  reporting,  too,  in  pleasant 
and  attractive  vein,  for  the  church 
periodical  the  result  of  his  itin*^rarit 
ohservations.  The  notes  of  travel  from 
his  pea  during  the  year  ^849,  which 
may  be  found  in  the  files  of  the  Metho 
DisT  Pbotestant.  would  be  interesting 
reading  at,  this  da^.  They  were  pro- 
ductive of  great  good  among  the  read- 
ers of  the  church  paper,  and  were  full 
of  encouragement  to  both  pastors  and 
people.  We  can  recall  at  this  distant 
dav  the  terms  of  high  appreciation  with 
which  be  spoke  of  such  men  as  Rev.'s 
Alson  Gray  and  John  Hinshaw,  who 
were  acknowledged  as  foremost  men  in 
piety  and  zeal  in  their  day.  The  labors 
of  the  President  in  1849  were  abundant 
and  arduous,  but  it  was  manifest  thai 
they  had  efiected  good  in  all  directions. 
His  report  to  the  Conference  of  3  849 
was  the  first  regalar  document  of  the 
sorb  from  an  executive  ot  the  district, 
besides  that  it  contained  a  setting  forth 
in  full  of  his  views  as  to  the  condition 
of  the  various  fields  of  labor,  their  sus- 
ceptibilities and  their  necessities. 

He  was  re-elected  President  at  the 
Conference  of  1849,  and  chosen  a  dele- 
gate to  the  General  Conference  of  1850. 
He  was  again  elected  President  at  the 
Rehoboth  Conference  of  1850,  but  early 
in  the  next  year  hit!  health  gave  way, 
and  the  district  committee  appointed 
Rev.  B.  L.  Hoskins  to  fill  oat  the  un- 
expired term.  He  was  able  to  attend 
the  Conference  at  Bethel  in  1851,  and 
wai  left  without  an  appointment  at  his 
own  request.  The  next  year  be  was 
assigned  to  Halifax  circuit  as  assistant. 
He  was  Secretary  of  the  Conference  of 


3 


1853,  beld  at  Fairfield,  and  was  assign- 
ed to  Roanoke  circuit  as  Supt.  Next 
year  he  was  Supt.  of  Halifax  circuifc, 
and  was  in  the  same  relation  for  two 
sacceedin!2:  years,  In  1857  he  was  as- 
signed to  Roanoke  circuit  as  8upt.  and 
was  also  a  delegate  to  the  General  Con- 
lerence  of  1858  and  at  the  Annual  Con- 
ference ot  '58  was  returned  to  Roanoke 
circuit,  Duriutr  the  ve  ir  1860  he  was 
ULa  signed,  but  the  Presideat,  Tiev. 
John  F.  Speight,  having  died  during 
this  year.  Dr.  Wills  vi&a  appointed  to 
till  out  his  term.  He  was  elected  Pres- 
i<3ent  at  the  Conference  d1  IS-  0,  but  re- 
signed durit  g  the  session  of  the  Cou- 
tereuc-,  an'^  was  appointed  Supt.  of 
Tar  River  circuit,  and  was  returned  the 
next  yejr.  From  the  Conference  of 
1862  he  was  aswigned  to  Roanoke,  and 
retun  ed  in  1863,  ~nd  '64  He  was  not 
present  at  the  celebrated  Fair  Grove 
Coi.ference  of  1863,  and  therefore  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  proceedings  of 
the  session.  By  the  Conference  of 
1865  he  was  assigne  »  to  Halifax  circuit 
and  elected  to  ti)e  General  Conference 
o  1866.  ht^ld  at  Georgetowu,  D.  C.  of 
which  he  was  Pres^dtnt.  Ic  ivould  be 
needless  to  say  to  those  who  knew  bis 
readiness  and  ekill  as  a  presiding  offi- 
cer, that  he  discharged  the  f  unci  ions 
of  the  office  with  a^^iiity  and  success. 
On  one  of  the  days  during  the  session 
the  General  Conference,  in  a  body, 
called  on  President  Johnson  at  the 
White  House,  Dr.  Wills  makiog  the 
address,  and  President  Johns^m  reply- 
ing. It  is  remembered  thdt  Pre^ident 
Wills  was  clad  in  a  suit  of  black  home 
spun,  which  bed  been  manufactured 
out  of  the  ra  w  material,  and  he  said  to 
the  occujpant  of  t  e  White  House,  with 
evident  pride  and  satisfaction:  "Sir, 
the  clothes  that  I  have  on  are  entirely 
of  home  produc  ion,  my  wife  aod 
daughters  having  dyed  and  spun  the 
wool,  woven  'he  cloth,  cut  out  the  ga' 
ments  and  made  them  with  their  own 
ban 'IS  " 

He  was  reappointed  to  Halifax  circuit 
by  the  Conlerence  of  1866,  and  elected 
H  delegate  to  the  Montgomery  Conven- 
tion for  the  following  year.  This  con- 
veniioa^be  attended,  and  acted  an  im- 
portant part  in  its  pruceediDgs.  The 


Conference  of  1867  left  him  without  an 
appointment  at  his  own  request,  and  at 
the  next  Conference  he  was  elected 
President  of  the  district,  and  re-elected 
in  1869.  In  1^70  tie  was  a  member  of 
the  General  Conference,  but  at  the  en- 
suing Annu;.!  (Jonference  he  was  left 
without  an  appointment,  in  conse- 
quence of  ill  health  which  relation  was 
repeated  for  '71  and '72.  in  which  latter 
year  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctoi  of 
Divinity  was  conferred  on  him  by  the 
trustees  and  1  acuity  of  Western  Mary- 
land College, 

In  1873  be  wbs  placed  on  the  list  cf 
superannuates,  which  relation  was  con- 
tinued in  '74  aT^d  '75,  but  in  '76  no  re- 
cord is  made.  Ihe  Conference  of  '73 
elected  him  one  of  the  delegates  to  tiiS 
Union  Conveniiou  of  '77,  in  Baltimore, 
in  which  body  his  firm,  constrvative 
position  on  import  nt  questions  won 
for  him  and  bis  Conference  the  respect 
and  good  will  of  all.  Ho  was,  indeed, 
an  important  factor  in  reaching  an 
amic-ble  adjustment  between  the  two 
divisions  of  the  church  represented  in 
that  convention. 

Dr.  Wilis  and  a  majority  of  his  Con  • 
ference  bad  been  slow  to  approve  of  a 
proposition  wbi^h  had  been  for  some 
time  pending  to  reunite  what  was  then 
known  as  "the  Methodist  church,"  and 
the  Me.hodist  Protestant  church,  the 
latter  being  confined  almost  entire'y  to 
the  Southern  States,  and  the  propriety 
and  the  terms  of  such  union  were  warni- 
ly  discussed,  but  when  at  last  such 
guarante  es  as  he  thought  were  neces- 
sary were  proposed,  be,  as  did  a  ma- 
jority of  his  brethren  in  the  South, 
heartily  concurred  in  the  proposed 
measure,  and  entered  the  compact  with 
great  heartiness. 

The  following  Annual  Conference 
('77)  appointed  him  agent  of  Gr  ens- 
boro  Mission;  the  session  of  '78  ap- 
pointed him  Conference  Evangelist, 
and  at  the  next  session  he  was  appoint- 
ed to  La  Grange  Mission.  In  1880  be 
was  assigned  to  Tar  River  circuit  and 
the  same  year  be  had  been  present  as  a 
d -legate  to  the  Pittsburg  Gene  al  Con- 
ference. In  '81  and  '82  be  was  as  igned 
to  Roanoke,  and  in  '83  to  Tar  River, 
with  Rev.  W.  L.  Harris  associate  pas- 


\ 


4 


tor.  Early  in  '84  he  took  charge  of  La 
Grenge  Mission  to  supply  a  vacancy, 
and  whiJe  filling  that  position  \7ith  his 
characteristic  energy  and  faithfulness — 
going  beyond  his  strength — he  was,  on 
the  night  of  Sept.  19^h,  188i,  at  the 
home  of  Mrs  E.  R.  Had  ley,  near  La 
Grange,  stricken  with  paralysis,  an  a^- 
fliction  which  held  him  in  its  grasp  un 
til  Juue  22nd,  1889,  when  he  passed 
away. 

The  la  e  and  beloved  Rev,  A.  C. 
Harris,  M.  D.,  a  short  while  before  his 
own  death,  dictated  to  an  amanuensis  a 
letter  to  this  writer  as  his  tribute  to  the 
memory  of  Dr.  Wills,  which  has  now  a 
mournful  interest,  yet  brighteued  by 
the  thought  that  the  two  have  already 
met 

* 'Beyond  the  fiighing  and  the  weeping,  "' 
He  writes: 

'  'Bro.  Miohaux— Our  life-long  friend 
and  ministerial  associate,  Rev.  W,  H. 
Wills,  D,D.,  has  gone  before  us,  having 
through  strength,  la  bor  and  sorrow, 
nearly  entered  upon  four -score  years. 

The  perpetuity  of  jife — the  life  that 
nowi^and  that  which  is  to  come  idti- 
mately  blended — is  a  pleasing  contem 
plation  to  them  who,  by  patient  con- 
tinuance in  well-doing,  seek  for  glory, 
honor  and  immortality,  as  tbey  have 
the  promise  of  eternal  life;  and  this  we 
secure  through  our  Redeemer,  God 
having  bestowed  His  love  upon  us  by 
the  gift  of  His  Son,  and  we,  entering 
by  faith  and  obedience  into  His  family 
as  heirs  and  joint  heirs  with  Chr  st 
Jesus,  are  called  the  sons  of  God;  and 
it  aoth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be, 
but  we  know  that  when  He  shall  ap- 
pear we  shall  be  like  Him,  for  we  shall 
see  Him  as  He  is. 

He  now  rests  from  the  labors  and 
sorrows  of  life,  both  in  the  gra"  e  and 
in  that  everlasting  rest  which  remaineth 
for  the  people  of  God. 

Ho-v  blest  the  righteous  when  he  dies! 

When  sinks  the  weary  soul  to  rest! 
How  mildly  beam  the  closing  ejes 
How  gently  heavea  the  expiring  breast! 


Life's  labor  done,  as  sinks  the  clay. 
Light  from  its  load  the  spirit  flies. 
While  heaven  and  earth  combine  to  say, 
How  blest  the  righteous  when  he  dies . 

Ushered  into  the  divine  Presence, 
and  being  a  partaker  of  heavenly 
glories,  our  brother  rests  from  his  la 
bors,  and  his  works  do  follow  him. 
His  labors  were  abundant,  and  the 
governing  principle  with  him  was  a  full 
conception  of  duty;  and  this  shaped  his 
course. 

The  older  members  of  our  Conference 
are  on  the  roll  of  the  deaa — Harris, 
Speight  and  Wills,  whose  labors,  in  the 
thirties,  were  mainly  in  the  East,  have 
entered  the  portals  of  everlasting  glory, 
in  the  order  named,  and,  reunited,  may, 
if  permitted,  recount  the  toils,  labors 
and  pleasured  of  their  intimate  associa 
tion  while  bearing  the  yoke  in  their 
youth,  and  exult  together  in  the  glory 
by  which  they  are  surrounded.  Beth- 
esda,  beloved  home  of  our  deer  brother 
and  father  in  Israel,  has  many  repre- 
sentatives in  the  better  world.  The 
old,  the  middle  aged  and  the  young  are 
there.  Their  memory  is  inscribed  in- 
delibly upon  our  affections,  while  the 
reunion  will  gladden  all  hearts,  and  we 
shall  sing — Saved  by  Grace. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  C.  Habris. 
Sassafras  Fork,  N.  C„  Aug.  6,  '89. 

Thus  far  we  have  scarcely  don  3  more 
than  pres'^nt  to  the  reader  the  dry 
statistics  of  time  and  place  and  move- 
ments in  relation  to  our  deceased 
brother,  when  he  began  his  career, 
what  positions  he  filled,  and  other 
similar  details— only  the  beginning, 
leally,  concerning  a  life  full  of  instruc- 
tive and  edifying  incident. 

Dr.  Wills'  early  literary  training  was 
limited  in  its  pcope,  but  he  had  been 
well  instructed  in  secular  business 
methods,  and  he  was  a  model  in  prompt- 
ness and  accuracy  in  all  matters.  He 
always  carried  a  watch,  and  was  careful 
that  it  should  be  an  accurate  time- 
keeper. Carelessness  in  meeting  en- 
gagements on  time  always  worried  him 
If  he  ever  failed  to  reach  ^n  Annual  or 
General    Conference,   or    any  other 


clinreh  meeting,  in  time  for  its  open- 
ing, it  is  not  remembered.  Such  a 
thing  could  not  occur  without  an  acci- 
dent. And  if  he  tilled  d.n  appointment 
to  preach  it  was  generally  at  the  exact 
time  that  was  announced.  In  dress  he 
was  rigidly  plain,  and  the  idea  of  show 
seemed  never  to  have  entered  his  mind. 
Yet  he  was  alwa5s  scrupulously  neat, 
bo*h  in  his  person  and  his  attire.  In 
respect  to  what  might  be  termed  gossip, 
he  was  peculiar,  fle  never  related  any 
common  occurrences  in  one  place  that 
he  had  heard  in  another,  and  never  in- 
quired after  the  news;  yet  he  was  never 
indifferent  to  the  real  welfare  of  the 
people,  and  was  ever  ready  to  discuss 
topics  of  genuine  interest  His  aver- 
sion to  gofcsip  may  be  illasrrated  by  one 
circumstance:  On  oneoccassion  he  had 
ridden  up  to  a  nt^i  jhborhood  store  and 
had  i  ust  dismounted  when  a  rather  in- 
quisite  person  came  up  and  accosting 
him  quite  faniliarly,  asted,  *  What  is 
the  news?"  The  prompt  reply  was, 
•*fc>ir,  I  am  no  news  carrier." 

He  WaS  fond  ot  his  own  home  and 
fireside  and  took  great  interest  in  con- 
triving appliances  for  convenience  and 
comfort;  yet  we  have  heard  Lim  express 
the  fear  lest  his  earthly  home  should 
become  so  attractive  to  him  that  he 
might  be  reluctant  to  leave  it  when  the 
time  came  to  go.  As  a  husband  and 
father  and  the  head  of  a  family  his 
plans  were  admirable,  and  were  carried 
out  so  ekillfuUy,  as  shown  by  their  sue- 
ces?,  that  they  deseive  to  be  imitated 
by  all,  if  that  were  possible  How  to 
live  "in  the  midsc  of  a  crooked  and 
perverse  nation"  without  contracting 
evil,  is  perhaps  not  a  more  difficult 
proljlem  than  to  so  order  one's  house- 
hold as  not  to  subject  its  inmates  to  as- 
similation to  the  families  surroanding 
them;  but  we  have  evidence  of  the  face 
that  one  family  at  least  could  be  "in 
the  world  and  not  of  tie  world,"  by 
virtue  of  obedience  to  the  Divine  com- 
mand to  "keep  the  way  of  the  Lord." 

Those  who  knew  and  observed  Dr. 
Wills  were  satisfied  of  the  fact  that  he 
was  actuated  in  ah  his  movements,  both 
public  and  private,  by  what  he  believed 
to  be  Christian  principle.  He  seemed 
to  have  a  way  marked  out  before  him, 


and  from  it  he  could  not  be  turned 
aside.  We  do  not  mean  to  say  that  he 
never  yielded  in  a  matter  of  opinion, 
for  in  this  particular  he  was  the  reverse 
of  strenuous,  and  we  have  often  seen 
him  y  eld  to  persons  whose  opinions 
were  entitled  to  far  less  respect  than 
his  own.  The  spirit  of  contention  had 
no  place  in  his  heart,  and  in  his  long 
life  he  was  never  known  to  wrangle;  as 
for  the  retaliatory  spirit,  that  also  was 
foreign  to  him,  as  we  have  had  oppor 
tunity  for  testing.  We  believe  the  ex- 
act truth  to  be  that  our  departed  broth 
er  was  thoroughly  regenerated),  and 
that  he  acted  in  obedience  to  the  spirit 
of  grace  that  was  in  him. 

True,  we  once  heard  him  say  that  he 
nad  no  knowledge  of  the  exact  time 
when  he  pa&sed  from  nature  to  grace, 
yet  he  knew  that  he  had  undergone  the 
great  change  and  was  a  new  crextura  in 
Christ  Jesus.  Under  this  blessed  con 
sciousnesshe  rejoiced  in  Christ  Jesus 
and  gave  glory  to  God.  Often  when  he 
ministered  to  others  in  the  church  of 
God  his  own  soul  would  take  fire  and 
he  would  be  carried  away  in  the  excess 
of  joy. 

We  never  met  a  man  who  gave  clearer 
evidences  of  loyalty  to  God,  to  con- 
fcience,  to  duty,  and  to  his  church,  and 
in  these  respects  he  deserves  the  high- 
est rank.  For  Christ's  sake  he  loved 
the  church  and  the  souls  of  perishing 
men.  and  for  Christ's  sakf  and  the  sal- 
vation of  souls  he  preached  and  prayed, 
exhorted  and  wept  through  long  years 
of  toil  and  self  sacrificing  devotion. 
We  are  assured  by  the  voice  from 
heaven  that  those  who  die  in  the  Lord 
are  blessed,  for  the  reasons  "that  they 
rest  from  their  labors,"  and  * 'their 
works  do  follow  them."  How  blessed 
then  him  whom  we  here  commemorate 
in  these  lines  of  tribute,  whose  labors 
were  so  abundant  and  whose  works 
were  so  earnest  and  faithful.  How 
earnestly  and  tenderly  he  expoun  ded 
and  applied  the  vital  doctrines  of  re- 
pentance toward  God  and  faith  toward 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  exhoited 
the  church  to  stand  fast,  to  put  on  the 
whole  armor  of  God,  to  pray  without 
ceasing  and  to  look  for  tiae  mercy  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  unto  eternal  life. 


6 


As  a  preacher  he  was  doctrinal,  experi- 
mental and  practical,  always  in  earnest, 
and  often,  especially  when  in  the  prime 
of  his  manhood,  with  distinguif^hed 
ability  and  effectiyeness,  He  watched 
for  souls  as  one  who  mus!i  give  account, 
and  there  are  hundreds  now  living  who 
treasure  up  the  saving  words  he  sp^ke, 
and  hundreds  more  who  will  recall 
them  in  seasons  yet  to  come,  because 
the;*  are  the  worda  of  wisdom  and  of 
eternal  life. 

Dr.  Wills  was  a  close  student  of  the 
Bible,  and  made  it  the  staple  of  his  es- 
cellent  sermj^ns.  H.3  was  also  well 
versed  in  the  economy  of  his  church, 
clearly  compr.  hended  its  principles, 
and  was  a  parliamentarian  of  decided 
ability,  so  that  as  a  presiding  officer 
among  us  he  was  preeminent,  deciding 
points  of  order  with  readiness  and  dis- 
patchiEg  business  with  speed.  Both  as 
the  secretary  and  the  presiding  officer 
of  the  Confereni-e  he  always  disolayed 
the  most  complete  readiness  and  skill, 
and  we  have  heard  a  number  of  persons 
say  that  they  never  saw  his  equal  as  a 
chairman.  But  perhaps  he  performed 
his  part  quite  as  well  and  with  as  much 
success  r,s  a  committeeman  as  in  any 
other  relation.  His  reports  were  models 
of  point  and  comprehensiveness. 

As  a  debater  he  was  ready  and  able, 
and  might  have  ex  elled  as  such,  bat 
for  the  f^ct  tbat  he  had  no  fondness  in 
that  direction;  and  as  jetirs  increased 
the  disinclination  to  debate  seemed  to 
grow  upon  him. 

The  writer,  while  engaged  in  prepar- 
ing this  tribute,  realizes  what  he  has 
felt  in  respect  to  other  deceased  breth- 
ren, a  feeling  which  grows  out  of  the 
changed  condition  from  life  to  death, 
as  to  the  body,  and  from  emb^^died  to 
disembod'ed,  as  to  the  spirit.  We  were 
once  so  circumstanced  that  we  could 
see  them  and  hold  conyerse  with  them: 
ail  is  now  changed,  and  the  veil  of 
mysterious  silence  and  non  intercourse 
drops  down  between  them  and  us.  And 
there  are  some  words  that  we  intended 
to  say  to  them,  but  while  we  deterred, 
the  swift,  noiseless  chariot  came  down 
and  bore  them  away. 

The  death  of  Dr.  Wills  was  preceded 
byl'an  affliction  of  four  years  and  nine 


months,  during  much  of  which  tim( 
however,  he  was  comparatively  con: 
lortable,  could   move  about  with 
crutch,  and   could   be   carried  fror! 
place  to  place.    Only  a  short  while  b€ 
fore  his  death  his  condition  appeared 
much  improved,  so  as  to  give  hope  n 
an  extension  of  his  term,  but  withi; 
four  or  five  days  of  the  Saturday  c 
which  he  died  a  chant;  e  for  the  wors 
came  on  him,  and  he  continued  to  sini 
until  the  end  w^s  reached.    Thus  die* 
God's  faithful  servant  in  his  80th  yen  i 
He  was  ready,  we  have  no  doubt,  Non? 
who  knew  him  well  could  doubt  it,  Hi^ 
preparation  had  been  made  long  year  '] 
ago,  and  he  was  only  waiting  , 
And  jUst  here  the  writer  would  pauSr. 
and   look  back  u\  on  the  scenes  c,. 
earlier  years  when  he  who  is  now  on 
glorified  brother  and  friend  was  in  th^ 
prime  of  his  mature  manhood — in  mid} 
die  age.    We  recall  his  intense  zeal  an 
earnest  labor,  his  faithful  dealing  wit;^ 
those  to  whom  he  preached,  his  burn ' 
ing  tvords  of  exhortation,  his  devoii'' 
and  touching  prayers,   and  his  self 
denying  devotion  in  spending  and  bef 
i'  g  spunt  in  his  Master's  service  Evef 
now  we  seem  to  hear  the  words  of  thost 
hymns  wh'ch   h«   delighted   to  sinf 
forty  \ears  ago:  F 

'  'Tis  not  a  cause  of  small  import  | 

The  pistor's  care  demands,  |t 

But  what  might  fill  an  angel's  heart,  I 

And  filled  the  Savior's  hands."  j 

Again:  <;«| 
"Do  not  I  love  thee,  O  my  Lord? 

Behold  my  heart  and  see,  i; 

And  turn  each  worthless  idol  out,  f 

That  dares  to  rival  Thee."  a 

And  again:  ^ 
**My  span  of  life  will  soon  be  done,  ) 

The  passing  moments  say,  i] 
As  leuRth'ning  ^^hadows  o'er  the  mead|[ 

Proclaim  the  close  of  day." 

And  then,  the  texts  from  which  h^ 
preached,  how  they  come  back  fron 
the  days  of  the  long  ago  and  becom^j 
vocal  in  the  memory: 

"Stand  fast,  therefore,  in  the  libert; 
wherewith  Christ  hath  mad^  us  free.' 


7 


lut  this  I  say,  breibren  tne  time  is 
art."    *  Unto  Him  that  bath  loved 
and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  His 
n  blood  " 

When  we  calmly  and  tboughtfully 
nsider  the  character  and  the  labors  of 
TOls,  and  bring  into  review  the 
jorous  and  uncompromising  nature 
his  piety,  whose  fervid  aggressive 
ss  yielded  to  no  circumstances  of 
ne  or  place,  it  is  then  that  we  wish 
r  all  our  ministers  that  they  might 
clothed  with  the  same  panoply  with 
lich  he  fought  -'tbe  ^ood  fight  of 
th. "    Can  it  be  that  Mich  an  example 
ail  be  lost  on  any  of  ue? 
Our  dear  brother,  Dr.  A.  C.  Harris, 
lo  so  soon  followed  his  friend  Dr. 
ills  to  the  grave  and  to  tlory,  speaUs 
Bethesda  church.    Yes,  we  know 
thesda  church.    The  house  was  built 
der  tne  iijspiralion  and  supervision 
Dr.  Wil  s.  arid  in  it  he  and  bis  fam- 
worshipped.    It  was  to  him  and  his 
d  a  circle  of  devout  souls  a  place  oi 
aating  and  rt freshmen*  on  the  march 
the  city  of  our  Gol.    Numbers  who 
ere  partook  of  the  Bread  of  Life  and 
e  Water  of  Life  have  gone  fro  be  with 
eir  Redeeacer  forever  and  to  praise 
im  with  the  saints  of  ail  ages.  One 
one  the  worsbippers  go  up  and  are 
en  ho  more  on  earth     We  can  re- 
ember  when  there  was  one  lone  grave 
Bethes:la.  and  that  the  grd\eor  an 
fant    But  now  the  grounds  hold  a 
imber  of  graves   and  one  of  tbem 
Dlds  the  remains  of  our  dej  arted  Bro. 
ails. 

Some  time  during  last  spring  one  of 
is  neighbors,  a  pious  sister,  was  taken 
ry  ill,  and  came  very  near  djing.  She 
Hied,  however,  and  as  soon  as  she 
as  sufficiently  recovered  to  do  so  she 
aid  a  visit  to  her  afflicted  neighbor, 
r.  Wills,  and  the  two  chatted  together 
leasantly  concerning  matters  of  mu- 
lal  interest;  then  said  Dr.  Wills,  turn- 


ing to  his  lately  afflicted  friend,  "When 
I  beard  of  your  sickness,  and  how  very 
ill  you  were,  I  Degan  to  think  you  were 
going  to  bfat  me  getting  to  glory." 
These  devoted  Christians  were  so  well 
prepared  for  their  change,  that,  to  tbem, 
death  and  glpry  were  closely  associated. 
And  tnere  was  a  sort  ofCrivalry  be*  ween 
them  as  to  which  of  them  should  get 
there  first.  That  question  was  decided 
within  one  week  from  the  day  on  which 
the  conversation  took  place,  and  he, 
of  whom  we  write,  was  privileged  to 
win  the  race  and  get  there  Ji>-st, 

One  incident  which  occurred  in  the 
d'*  ing  hour  wiU  be  of  interest  to  those 
who  knew  the  deceased:  The  life  cur- 
rent was  running  low,  and  every  little 
service  that  promised  to  soothe  the  suf- 
ferer was  resorted  to,  the  padent  indi- 
cating by  gesture  whether  th's  or  that 
wot  11  be  agreeable.  Presently  one  of 
the  attendants  suggested  a  stimulant, 
and  asked  him:  "  Will  you  have  some 
brandj  ?"  To  this  he  dc  ad  -  answer  dis- 
tictly  and  positively,  ''No."  Tnis  was 
his  la'^t  word,  and  perhaps  he  sum- 
moned bis  whole  strength  for  the  effort. 
It  proved  most  conclusively  that  his 
mind  was  clear  to  the  last. 

Tbu  passed  away,  full  of  days,  full 
of  honors  and  full  of  victory  through 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  a  most  vali'int, 
faithful,  uncompromising  soldier  of  the 
Cross;  a  firm,  but  most  affectionate 
husband  and  father,  and  a  bond  of  un- 
ion and  promoter  of  personal  and  fam- 
ily religion  in  Bethesda  church,  as  wcil 
as  faithful  ambassador  to  men  to  whom 
he  ministered  elsewhere. 

God  be  thanked  that  He  g  eve  us  His 
servant  for  so  many  years  and  that  in 
his  removal  we  have  such  abundant  as 
surance  that  be  has  laid  hold  on  eternal 
life.  J.  L.  MioHAUx,  { 

A.  C.  Hakris,    f  • 

Protestant  and  Eecorder please  copy. 


I 


